Friday, November 30, 2012

"In 1993, then 18-year-old Damien Echols was arrested along with fellow teenagers Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and charged with the murders of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis,
Arkansas. As the supposed “ringleader” of the group, Echols was
sentenced to death, while Baldwin and Misskelley were given life
sentences. The convicted men, known as the West Memphis Three, ultimately became part of one of the most notorious cases of wrongful conviction in recent history.Damien Echols, the central figure of the West Memphis Three, presents
a gripping, eloquently written account of his early life, his arrest
and trial, his eighteen years on death row, his new life after prison,
and his ongoing quest for full exoneration in his definitive memoir,Life After Death. In conversation withHenry Rollins, a longtime supporter of the effort to free the West Memphis Three,
Echols will discuss the story of his life before and after his trial,
including his spiritual and intellectual journey in prison as well as
his wife, Lorri Davis, whom he met and married while on death row. As
inspiring as it is terrifying,Life After Death reveals Echols to be not only a survivor, but also an extraordinary writer."

Life After Death: DAMIEN ECHOLS in conversation with HENRY ROLLINS - November 7, 2012

Saturday, November 10, 2012

http://www.ted.com
Philosopher Dan Dennett calls for religion -- all religion -- to be
taught in schools, so we can understand its nature as a natural
phenomenon. Then he takes on The Purpose-Driven Life, disputing its
claim that, to be moral, one must deny evolution.

"It
is safe to say that Jesus was not crucified because he taught love and
forgiveness or because he set about debating legal points with the
scribes of his day. Jesus was crucified because he was seen as a threat
to the powers-that-be. His brand of non-violent resistance, his manner
of stirring the people and empowering the poor, were correctly judged to
be challenging the political power structures of his day."

-- Gerard
Hall

Friday, November 9, 2012

Per the Huffington Post, 22 year old Denise Helms of California is a woman who asserts racist and violent beliefs against President Barack Obama.

Earlier this week, Helms wrote on her Facebook page: “Another 4 years of this (N-word)" an “Maybe he will get assassinated this term.”

Her actions have caused her to be fired from her job a Cold Stone Creamery in Turlock, California. Rightfully so, the secret service is not investigating.

Despite this load of evil, Helms maintains that she is not a racist. I'm curious as to how she would define racism and I am curious as to what specifically she dislikes about Obama's policies. She certainly dislikes that he is black.

A tattoo artist is banned from speaking at Career Day. Stigma seems to be as permanent as a tattoo. Too many react, rather than respond. Kneejerk reactions prompted by a ignorance about the art of tattooing.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

The day after the election (11/7/12) our re-elected president, Barack Obama, spoke at his campaign headquarters in the Prudential Building near
Lake Michigan. To his campaign
workers, he beamed; “I'm really proud of all of you."

I'll cut to the chase: The man cries, and it
is wonderful. I cannot fail to mention, however, that when Hilary Clinton cried, the
conservatives insisted that she did so because she's a woman and
therefore she wouldn't be able to handle the job as Prez. Obama cries,
and the world goes, "Awwww." I admired Clinton for her candor and I
admire Obama for his. Sincerity makes me emotional. Mr. President, you
are a true social worker.

Gay Men’s Sexism and Women’s Bodies

Yolo Akili explores how gay men’s sexism and male privilege shows up in relationship to women.

At a recent presentation, I asked all of the gay male students in the
room to raise their hand if in the past week they touched a woman’s
body without her consent. After a moment of hesitation, all of the hands
of the gay men in the room went up. I then asked the same gay men to
raise their hand if in the past week they offered a woman unsolicited
advice about how to “improve” her body or her fashion. Once again, after
a moment of hesitation, all of the hands in the room went up.

These questions came after a brief exploration of gay men’s
relationship to American fashion and women’s bodies. That dialogue
included recognizing that gay men in the United States are often hailed
as the experts of women’s fashion and by proxy women’s bodies. In
addition to this there is a dominant logic that suggests that because
gay men have no conscious desire to be sexually intimate with women, our
uninvited touching and groping (physical assault) is benign.

These attitudes have led many gay men to feel curiously comfortable
critiquing and touching women’s bodies at whim. What’s unique about
this is not the male sense of ownership to women’s bodies—that is
somewhat common. What’s curious is the minimization of these acts by
gay men and many women because the male perpetuating the act is or is
perceived to be gay.

An example: I was at a gay club in Atlanta with a good friend of mine
who is a heterosexual black woman. While dancing in the club, a white
gay male reached out and grabbed both her breasts aggressively. Shocked,
she pushed him away immediately. When we both confronted him he told
us: “It’s no big deal, I’m gay, I don’t want her– I was just having
fun.” We expressed our frustrations to him and demanded he apologize,
but he simply refused. He clearly felt entitled to touch her body and
could not even acknowledge the fact that he had assaulted her.

I have experienced this attitude as being very common amongst gay
men. It should also be noted that in this case, she was a black woman
and he a white gay male, which makes this an eyebrow-raising dynamic as
it invokes the psychological history of white men’s entitlement to black
women’s bodies. However it has been my experience that this dynamic of
assault with gay men and women also persists within racial groups.

At another presentation, I told this same story to the audience.
Almost instantly, several young women raised up their hands to be called
upon. Each of them recounted a different story with a similar theme.
One young woman told a story that stuck with me:

“I was feeling really cute in this outfit I put together. Then I see
this gay guy I knew from class, but not very well. I had barely said hi
before he began telling me what was wrong with how I looked, how I
needed to lose weight, and how if I wanted to get a man I needed to do
certain things… In the midst of this, he grabbed my breasts and pushed
them together, to tell me how my breasts should look as opposed to how
they did. It really brought me down. I didn’t know how to respond… I
was so shocked.”

Her story invoked rage amongst many other women in the audience, and
an obvious silence amongst the gay men present. Their silence spoke
volumes. What also seemed to speak volumes, though not ever articulated
verbally, was the sense that many of the heterosexual women had not
responded (aggressively or otherwise) out of fear of being perceived as
homophobic. (Or that their own homophobia, in an aggressive response,
would reveal itself.) This curiously, to me did not seem to be a concern
for the lesbian and queer-identified women in the room at all.

Acts like these are apart of the everyday psychological warfare against
women and girls that pits them against unrealistic beauty standards and
ideals. It is also apart of the culture’s constant message to women
that their bodies are not their own.

It’s very disturbing, but in a culture that doesn’t see gay men who
are perceived as “queer” as “men” or as having male privilege, our
misogyny and sexist acts are instead read as “diva worship” or
“celebrating women”, even when in reality they are objectification,
assault and dehumanization.

The unique way our entitlement to women’s physical bodies plays
itself out is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to gay cisgender
men’s sexism and privilege. This privilege do not make one a bad person
any more than straight privilege makes heterosexuals bad people. It
does mean that gay men can sometimes be just as unthinkingly hurtful,
and unthinkingly a part of a system that participates in the oppression
of others, an experience most of us can relate to. Exploration of these
dynamics can lead us to query institutional systems and policies that
reflect this privilege, nuanced as it is by other identities and social
locations.

At the end of my last workshop on gay men’s sexism, I extended a
number of questions to the gay men in the audience. I think it’s
relevant to extend these same questions now:

How is your sexism and misogyny showing up in your own life, and in
your relationships with your female friends, trans, lesbian, queer or
heterosexual? How is it showing up in your relationship to your mothers,
aunts and sisters? Is it showing up in your expectations of how they
should treat you? How you talk to them? What steps can you take to
address the inequitable representation of gay cisgender men in your
community as leaders? How do you see that privilege showing up in your
organizations and policy, and what can you do to circumvent it? How will
you talk to other gay men in your community about their choices and
interactions with women, and how will you work to hold them and yourself
accountable?

These are just some of the questions we need to be asking ourselves
so that we can help create communities where sexual or physical assault,
no matter who is doing it, is deemed unacceptable. These are the kinds
of questions we as gay men need to be asking ourselves so that we can
continue (or for some begin) the work of addressing gender/sex inequity
in our own communities, as well as in our own hearts and minds. This is a
part of our healing work. This is a part of our transformation. This is
a part of our accountability.

An Interview with Ian McKaye of Minor Threat & Dischord Records at Loyola University

In this clip from www.artistshousemusic.org - Watch as Ian MacKaye, founder and owner of Dischord Records,
participates in a detailed Q&A session with an auditorium of Loyola
University Music Business students. MacKaye speaks on his experiences
with his bands like Minor Threat, Fugazi and The Evens. He answers questions about Straight Edge, DIY ethic, his Dischord record label and more.

The Good Men Project, posted a simple article(which really isn't an article) about celebrity women who have had difficulty with romantic breakups. The article features women only, which I find interesting and also disappointing.

Perhaps TrèsSugar was unable to find quotes from male celebrities or perhaps TrèsSugar wasn't interested -- there's no way to know. If it was difficult to find quotes from a male voice, that tells me societal influence may be playing a part. Sexist society tells us that it is unacceptable for men to reveal their feelings without scrutiny. There are plenty of men who have been hurt by relationships gone sour and plenty who harbor gems of wisdom derived from their experiences. I would have loved to have read some quotes from male celebrities as well.

Jessica Simpson

“It was like a death in the family: you go through the mourning
stage, then the rebellion, and then all of a sudden you have to find
life by yourself … I loved everything about marriage. I loved having a
companion to wake up with and have barbecues with. But things happen and
people grow apart. I don’t really ever talk about the divorce because
it was a heart-wrenching thing to go through.”— Jessica Simpson said divorce can feel like death.

Emma Stone

“I was crawling on the floor. I remember throwing up. I remember
being on the floor … I have never felt anything quite like that. It was
so visceral. It’s like someone has killed you and you have to live
through it and watch it happen … It was awful.”— Emma Stone’s teen heartbreak caused her to throw up.

When Jessica Simpson and her then husband Nick Lashay, participated in a reality tv show, she earned a reputation of being a ditz. It's a rep that she has not fully shaken. If there are any concerns, simply read this quote.

She likens the divorce to a death. This is an analogy that I have often used, myself. When you breakup with someone, there is no going back. It's done and that feels unbelievably suffocating.She goes on to acknowledge that although their is mourning there is the desire to fight back or fight off. She then makes the excellent and very true point, that afterwards one must "find life" by oneself. The world is different when you are minus the partnership. I also love how she speaks about waking up with a companion and having BBQs with them. An intimate experience and a seemingly casual one, that exists as a part of every day life. All of that can change in an instant and then all of a sudden, you have to learn to live without.

Emma Stone spoke about how she was crawling on the floor and puking. I've never thrown up, but I've certainly found myself on the floor. Ending up there is a strange and humbling experience. Her statement about living through your own assassination is a profound one.

Thank you ladies. There's an incredible importance and bravery in allowing oneself to be so vulnerable. It is quotes like these that exemplify how human we all are. Now, where are the gents?

Friday, November 2, 2012

I can't stop watching this video and I can't stop wishing that I was a part of it. I'm not the hugest Pink fan, but I do think she has got some great pipes. The below video features the type of dance, I wish more music videos would dare explore.

I will say that there is one moment which unnerved me instantly. So, let this be my trigger warning. There is a moment where Pink's partner spreads her legs wide and fits his foot underneath her crotch and kicks upward. It's a brisk movement, in keeping with a modern dance tempo -- even so, I instantly thought, RAPE.

I also saw it as a creative way in which to switch the "being kicked in the balls" idea. As a woman, as a feminist, I am certainly aware that there may be some who take issue with the violence that takes place here. I view it as two shapes in motion, moving with and against the strength of their bodies. A confrontation between love, fear and frustration. Symbolism exists as these forces push against each other, try to find stability, while trying to destroy the other.

I envy Pink's experience as I imagine it would take a great amount of team work, trust, care, strength, practice, trial and error, vulnerability and introspection to complete this project.

Try - by Pink

The "Try" video features dancer Colt Prattes as Pink's partner. The piece was directed by Floria Sigismondi and choreographed by The Golden Boyz (RJ Durell and Nick Florez) along with stunt choreographer Sebastien Stella.

Daria is an MTV animated comedy series, which has been off the air for many years now. The DVD box sets are available for purchase. I might have to steal this idea and go as Jane Lane next year. I can only hope I become Jane Lane, in my next life.

About Me

I believe story telling is an art form and blogging is a medium in which to share stories and ideas. Within this blog I hope to cover a spectrum of topics. From the serious to the silly. Here you will read my views and inquiries about subjects such as feminism, other various socio-political issues, psychology, spirituality, sexuality, and general interests such as film, art and music. You will also be exposed to my obsession with cupcakes, tea, books, Hello Kitty, and quirky day to day journeys. I enjoy learning from others as I am constantly attempting to introspect, grow and evolve. During this process I will be jotting down musings on this blog. Pull up a comfy chair and a spot of tea and join me!